Plopped in the middle of a residential neighborhood is a casual spot to sip some of the city’s best brews.

Like most taprooms, Half Acre’s new spot in Lincoln Square (2050 W. Balmoral Ave.) prioritizes function (drinking) over form. Sure, there’s some neon art eye candy, and the pint glasses have an appealing, brightly-colored logo printed on them. But it’s meant to be a place to really delve into Half Acre’s extended brew catalog. And for that, it’s excellent. On Saturday, amid the deluge, nobody was getting much use out of the spot’s adjacent patio. Instead they were sampling one of the 18 beers on draft, including several that aren’t readily available in cans.